Automatic train-pipe coupling.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

c. B. DIGKERSON. AUTOMATIC TRAIN PITT GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1904.

`No.v771,002. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

' C. B. DIGKERSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING.

APPLICATION HLED MAY s, 1904.

2 sIiBBTs-sHEBT 2.

MM50 Inventor lll@0 so www mw No MODEL.

Witnes es 5 5 Of Fig. 6.

Patented September 2'7, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

CORNELIUS B. DICKERSON, OF CLIO, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,002, datedSeptember 2*?, 1904. Application filed May 5,1904. Serial No. 206,558.(No model.)

- Virginia, have invented a new and useful Automatic Train-PipeCoupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to train-pipe systems, and has for its object toprovide an improved coupling for the train-pipes of adjacent cars and tohave said coupling capable of automatic connection with thecomplementary coupling of another car when run together for coupling andalso to effect an automatic uncoupling of the train-pipes by theuncoupling of the cars. It isfurthermore designed to mount the couplingso as to automatically7 accommodate for bufting and draft strains andthe up and down movements of the car-bodies upon the trucks thereof.

Another object is to provide for connecting the present form of couplingwith the arrangement of train-pipes as now in common use withoutaltering or changing the same in any manner whatsoever.

Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a pair of couplingsembodying the features of the present invention and arranged in coupledrelation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail sectional view through the universal joint of thecoupling. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the ball member of theuniversal joint. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the devicearranged for coupling the air-pipes for the brakes, the steam-pipes forthe heating system, and the air-pipes for the signaling apparatus andtaken on the line Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa detail view of a pair of washers employed in the construction shown inFig. 5.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The coupling of the present invention embodies a head l, whichterminates at its rear end in a reduced stem 2, having averticallydisposed longitudinal slot 3, while its forward end isprovided with a smooth cylindrical seat or socket Il, disposed at oneside of the longitudinal axis of the head and having a flaring entranceor mouth 5, there being another cylindrical internally-screw-threadedsocket 6 at the opposite side of the longitudinal center of the head.The rear portion of the seat 4: is reduced by a pair of annularshoulders 7 and 8, and between these shoulders is a tubular seat member9, formed of Babbitt or other suitable metal,with a packing 10interposed between the seat member and thc shoulder 8. The outer end ofthe seat member 9 is flared for apurpose that will be hereinafterdescribed. A cylindrical nozzle member l1 is secured into thescrew-threaded socket 6 and is provided at its outer end with a reducedterminal 12. The rear end of the longitudinal bore 13 of the nozzlecommunicates with a passage `14, formed transversely through the head ofthe coupling in rear of the socket 6, and intersects a longitudinalpassage l5, which communicates atits forward end with the back of theSeat 4, with its rear end piercing the rear end of the coupling. Therear end of the passage 15 is enlarged and screw-threaded for thereception of a stuiing-box comprising a screw-threaded gland 17 and oneor more packing-rings 18. The body of the coupling thus constructed isloosely hung beneath the usual car-coupling by means of a hanger 19,which is secured to any convenient portion of the under side of thecar-frame, while the rear end of the stem 2 is supported in a bracket20, which is also hung from the under side of the car-body. This brackethas an opening 21 for the reception of the stem, and the front and rearends of the opening are beveled or flared, so as to permit of a lateralswinging of the IOO coupling when rounding curves. One face of thebracket is provided with a vertical slot or groove 22, which intersectsthe top of the bracket and terminates short of the opening 21, with aperforation 23 intersecting the bottom of the slot and communicatingwith the opening 21 to permit of the insertion of a pin 24 through thebracket and the longitudinal slot 3 of the stem, thereby to permit of alimited endwise movement of the coupling under the action of bufling anddraft strains. A suitable helical spring 25 embraces the stem 2 andAbears in opposite directions against the rear end of the head of thecoupling and the bracket 20, there being 'a suitable washer 26interposed between the spring and the bracket to take the wear of therear end of the spring'.

To provide for connecting' the present form of coupling-head with theusual train-pipe, which has been indicated at 27, a metallic pipe ortube 28 is employed, the forward end of which is extended into thestuffing-box 17, so as to communicate with the rear end of the seat 4,and is capable of slidingl in an endwise direction through thestufling-box, or, to be more correct, the coupling-head is capable ofsliding upon the tube. At the rear end of the tube there .isasubstantially spherical cup 29, which is fixed upon the tube and hasits open rear end terminated substantially iiush with the rear end ofthe tube, and swiveled upon or rotatably embracing the cup is aninternally-screw-threaded coupling-sleeve 30. A tubular coupling' member31 has its forward externally-screw-threaded portion engaged with thescrew-threaded interior of the sleeve 30. The middle portion of thiscoupling is pierced by a comparatively small longitudinal passage 32,which is enlarged at its rear end,l as at 33, so as to form a valve-seat34, the rear extremity of the enlarged portion 33 being screw-tlncaded.The front end of the coupling member 31 is provided with a semisphericalseat or socket 35 to loosely embrace the cup 29, thereby to cooperatewith the sleeve 30 to form a universal joint upon the rear end of thetube 28. A short flexible tube 35 projects from the forward end of thepassage 32 into the socket 35 and is of a size to embrace the rear endof the tube 28, so as to accommodate for the rocking` movement of thepipe within the socket and insure a continuous communica- VVhentworeversely-disposed couplings of the present type are brought together,the nozzles 11 automatically enter the corresponding sockets 4, with thereduced terminals 12 of the nozzles snugly fitting' the seats 9, andthereby in communication with the longitudinal air-passages 15 of theopposite couplings. Then the valve 36 is open, the air will passforwardly through the tube 28 into the longitudinal air-passage 15 ofthe adjacent coupling-head, from which it passes through the transversepassage 14 into the nozzle 11 and thence into the longitudinalair-passage 15 of the opposite coupling, and some of the air also passesinto the socket 4 and thence into the nozzle of the other coupling andthrough the transverse passage 14 of said other coupling into itslongitudinal passage 15 and thence through the tube 28 into thetrainpipe. Vhen the cars are uncoupled and drawn apart, the presenttrain-pipe couplings will automatically separate without injury to anyof the parts thereof. It will now be understood that the seat 9 in thesocket 4 is formed of Babbitt metal or other suitable yieldablematerial, so as to form an air-tight joint between the reduced terminal12 of the nozzle, which lits thereinto.

Under the action of bufling and draft strains the coupling-heads arecapable of moving' back and forth against the tension of the springs 25and are also capable of swinging laterally upon the rear ends of thestems as centers when the train is rounding a curve, and as the headsare loosely supported in the hangers they are capable of rising andfalling without damage to their connections with the car. W'hen movingback and forth under bui'ling and draft strains, the pipe 27 slidesthrough the stufling-box 17 without an interruption of the air-supply,and the universal joint formed at the rear end of vthe pipe 28 permitsof the necessary lateral and vertical play of the coupling-head.

The construction hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figs. 1 to4, inclusive, is for coupling` a single service-pipe--as, for instance,the air-pipe for the air-brake system of a freight-train; but when thedevice is employed upon a passenger-train it is necessary to provide forcoupling two other servicepipesviz., the service-pipe for thesteamheating system and the air-pipe for the signaling apparatus-#andsuch an arrangement has been provided for, as illustrated in Figs. 5 to7, inclusive, which will now be described. In this multiplex arrangementthe couplinghead 38 is of substantially the same configuration ashereinbefore described, it being provided at its rear end with a stem 39and in its forward end with a nozzle-receiving smooth socket 40 and thenozzle 41, secured into the head diametrically. opposite the socket 40.Instead of a single longitudinal passage each nozzle41 is provided withthree longitudinal passages, (designated 42, 43, and 44, respectively.)The passage 42 extends throughout the entire length of the nozzle andintersects opposite IOO ` 43 and is provided with a terminal-lateralinlet branch 44 and an opposite terminal lateral outlet branch 44h. Atone side of the stem of the head and piercing the rear end thereof is alongitudinal inlet-passage 45, which is connected to one of theservice-pipes through the medium of the slidable and pivotal joint orcoupling, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, while its forward end isdivided into forwardly-diverging branches 45a and 451, of which thebranch 45a communicates with the rear end of the passage 42 in thenozzle, which is carried by the adjacent coupling-head, while thepassage 4513 communicates with the back of the socket 40 in the samecoupling-head, and thereby in communication with the outer end of thepassage 42 in the nozzle of the opposite coupling-head. Communication ishad between the passage 45 of the other coupling-head and the twonozzles in precisely the same manner as just described. Therefore acontinuous communication is maintained between the two passages 45 whenthe coupling members are in coupled relation. At one side of the passage45 is another passage 46, which passes forwardly and is inclinedtransversely across the coupling-head beneath the passage 451) and isdivided into branches 46u and 461, which pierce the inner walls of therespective screw-threaded and smooth sockets and communicate with therespective inlet branches 44n and 441) of the passages 44 of thenozzles, the other ends of the passages 44 being in communication withthe passage 46 of the other couplinghead in precisely the same manner asjust described. At the opposite side of the passage 45 there is anotherpassage, 47, which inclines transversely beneath the branch passage 45and above the passage 46, with its forward end divided into branches475L and 471), which communicate, respectively, with the branch passages43n and 431 of the passages 43. To prevent leakage at the joints betweenthe reduced terminal of each nozzle and the nozzle-receiving' socket,the rear portion of said socket is provided with a pair ofreducer-sleeves 48, preferably formed of Babbitt metal, each of which isprovided with a transverse opening or port 49, so as to affordcommunication between the passages 441 and 461 and between the passages431) and 471, a suitable spacing-washer 50 being interposed between thetwo sleeves, thereby to insure a tight fit of the reduced portion of thenozzle within the rear portion of the socket.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the multiplex form ofcoupling provides efficient means for coupling the servicepipes of thethree train-pipe systems, and the service-pipes may be readily connectedto the passages 45, 46, and 47, according to their arrangement upon thecar. In other words, any one of the passages 45, 46, and 47 may beconnected to the steam-heating system, the service-pipe of the signalingapparatus, or to the air-brake pipe, as each passage affords an unbrokencommunication from one car to another and is equally adapted forconducting steam as well as air. Vhen two couplings are broughttogether, the passages of the nozzles automatically register with thepassages of the sockets and do not require any special adjustment afterthe couplings have been united. At this point it will be noted that theopenings 49 in the reducer-sleeves 48 are considerably longer than thediameters of the passages formed through the nozzle in order to maintainan uninterrupted communication between the passages of the nozzle andthe passages of the coupling-head during longitudinal movements inopposite directions of opposite couplings under draft and buifingstrains.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it is preferred to have the passage32 formed by a short pipe-section, with the fieXible tube 35 snuglyembracing the forward end of this pipe, so as to be held in placeagainst the action of the ball-and-socket joint.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Atrain-pipe coupling comprisingacoupling-head terminating' at itsrear end in a reduced connecting-stem and provided with a longitudinalnozzle-receiving' socket at one side of its longitudinal aXis andopening through the front end of the head and a nozzle carried by andprojected at the front of the head at the opposite side of thelongitudinal aXis thereof, the rear portion of the head having a passageintersecting the back thereof for connection with a train-pipe andprovided with branches leading to the nozzle and the socketrespectively.

2. Atrain-pipe coupling comprisinga coupling-head having its rear endprovided with a reduced connecting-stem and also provided with anozzle-receiving socket intersecting the front end of the head at oneside of the longitudinal axis thereof, a nozzle carried by and projectedat the front of the head at the opposite side of the longitudinal axisthereof, the rear of the head having a passage intersecting the backthereof at one side of the stem and provided withbranches leading to thenozzle and the socket respectively and a pipe fitted to the passage andprovided at its rear end with la universally-jointed coupling forconnection with a train-pipe.

3. A train-pipe coupling comprising a coup- TOO IIO

ling-head and an air-pipe connected thereto and provided at one end witha universal joint comprising a substantially semispherical cup carriedby and embracing the pipe, a sleeve loosely embracing the cup, and atubular coupling' member having a socket to loosely receive the cup anddetachably connected to the sleeve.

4. A train-pipe couplingcomprisinga coupling-head, an air-pipe connectedthereto and provided at its rear end with a hollow substantiallyspherical cup embracing the pipe, a screw-threaded sleeve looselyembracing the cup, and a tubular coupling member terminallyscrew-threaded for connection respectively with the sleeve and thetrain-pipe, the bore of the tubular coupling member having a valve-seattherein, the forward end of said member having a socket to looselyreceive the cup, and the 'forward end of the bore of the couplinglmember having a flexible nipple cngaging the rear end of the pipe.

5. In a train-pipe coupling, the combination of front and rear hangers,the rear hanger having a horizontal opening and provided in one facewith a vertical groove intersecting the top of the hanger and terminatedshort of the opening therein with a perforation piercing the bottom ofthe groove and intersecting the opening, a coupling-head looselysupported in the front hanger and having a stem loosely received in theopening of the bracket and provided with a longitudinal slot, and a pinpassed through the perforation of the bracket and engaging the slottedstem to permit of a limited slidable movement of the head.

6. Atrain-pipe coupling comprising a coupling-head having a nozzle and anozzle-receiving socket independent of the nozzle, the nozzle beingprovided with a plurality of longitudinal passages, one of said passagesintersecting the opposite ends of the nozzle and the other passagesintersecting a side of the nozzle near opposite ends thereof, the rearportion of the head being provided with passages intersecting the rearextremity thereof andv corresponding in number to the number of passagesin the nozzle, each passage of the head being branched with one .branchregistered with the adjacent end of one of the passages in the nozzleand its other branch communicating with the nozzle receiving socket forregistration with the corresponding passage of a complementary nozzle.

7. A train-pipe coupling comprising a coupling-head having al nozzle anda nozzle-receiving socket, the nozzle being provided with a plurality oflongitudinal passages, one of which passages intersects opposite ends ofthe nozzle, the other passages intersecting a side of the nozzle nearopposite ends thereof, the rear portion of the coupling-head beingprovided with passages intersecting the rear extremity thereof andcorresponding in number to the passages of the nozzle, each passagebeing branched for communication with the nozzle andthe nozzle-receivingsocket, one branch of one of the passages being in communication Withthe rear end of the nozzle-receiving socket and the correspondingbranches of the other passages intersecting a side of thenozzle-receiving socket, and reducer-rings fitted within the socket andprovided with openings registered with the branch passages whichintersect a side of the socket, the openings of the reducer-rings beinglonger than the diameters of the branch passages to provide elongatedoutlets therefor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS B. DICKERSON.

VitnesSeS:

D. R. NVooD, V. M. SOWDER.

